The preference of a textile material by consumers is largely dependent upon their perception of "comfort" of the textile garment. Traditionally garments made from cotton are perceived to be more comfortable than those made from polyester. There are several property differences between cotton and polyester. Among these differences are lower flexural rigidity of cotton partially due to (i) its fiber's cross-section having a preferred bending direction, and (ii) enhanced moisture transport properties of cotton as compared to those of polyester.
In order to overcome the deficiencies of polyester as compared to cotton, several prior art processes have been employed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,590,402 discloses treating polyethylene terephthalate fabrics with an aqueous solution of caustic soda or caustic potash to improve handle and softness. Subsequently, caustic treatment of certain polyester fabrics to improve certain properties has been disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,781,242; 2,828,528; and 4,008,044; and in J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 33, p. 455 (1987). All of the prior art methods disclose treating fabrics, and the treatment time with caustic solution is very long resulting in a relatively indiscriment surface hydrolysis of the treated fabric. Furthermore, the weight loss of such treated fabrics is typically very high, and the cross-section of the fibers from which the fabrics are made is conventional, i.e., substantially round.
It has now been discovered that yarns and fabrics made from certain polyester fibers modified as hereinafter described have improved properties such as enhanced moisture transport properties, and distinctive hand.